It can take awhile for a new technology to become a standard in the consumer market. For example, USB 3.0 was introduced way back in 2008, but we're only now seeing a steady stream of compliant devices widely available. And now USB 3.0 is getting a big specifications boost... More

• Seagate Wireless Plus
• $199.99 (Amazon)
• Seagate 
I don't know about you, but my apartment has become the nexus of a small galaxy of wireless devices: smartphones, tablets, and our pair of laptops all storing a gigantic library of files, songs, and photos between the two of us. We can't take it all with us when we travel, but the Seagate Wireless Plus drive makes it easy for both of us to untether ourselves from our respective wired backup external drives when we're traveling together, providing a spacious 1TB of shared media storage wirelessly for up to 10 hours. As the name implies, this compact drive creates its own wi-fi network, can stream up to three devices at once, and is Airplay compatible, offering the unplug-go-and-connect utility for collaboration, work, or entertainment without wires or cables.

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Our detective casually entered the crime scene and gazed around the darkened room, lit only by computer screens silently screaming for help. Crime scene tape and disk space warning messages flickered, as bits and bytes disappeared around him. He quietly surveyed the scene and brought out his tools of deduction. Who might the criminal mastermind be behind this devious theft? Let our adventure begin... More

I've got a soft spot for LaCie hard drives. One of my first external hard drives was a LaCie, and I still have two working backup drives from their stable of drives that have survived several moves, multiple computers, countless OS upgrades. And thanks to LaCie's partnership with designers like Neil Poulton, Porsche, and now design l'enfant terrible, Philippe Starck, their drives have long appealed to the aesthete customer. Announced over the weekend before the 2013 CES show, LaCie revealed the Starck designed Blade Runner, an external drive like nothing else out there... More

LaCie CloudBox
• $119.99/$149.99/$179.99 (1, 2, 3 TB)
• LaCie

Designer Neil Poulton is back collaborating with computer storage hardware manufacturer, LaCie, this time offering 1-3TB capacity storage in their signature minimalist-monolithic style. The Cloudbox aims to simplify NAS (network attached storage) into an easy experience for even the most technically unsavvy. Don't know the benefits of an NAS? The Cloudbox is simply a Windows and OS X compatible shared data storage device which only requires a 2-step process setup: plug it into the outlet, connect to a router via Ethernet. The Cloudbox does the rest... More

We talk a lot about backing up your files here at Apartment Therapy, but that's because it's so, so important. You never know when your hard drive will fail, or when something might happen to your backup. Personally, I don't back up that much data--while I have an extensive music library, I'm not attached to the files since I can listen to almost everything via services like Spotify, and I know I can re-download any applications I need. But years of photos and creative endeavors aren't replaceable, so in addition to things like Apple's Time Machine and Dropbox, I like to save these files to a tiny thumb drive that I always keep plugged into my laptop.

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You never know when a device will fail, be it a laptop, desktop, or hard drive. In managing any kind of digital workflow, even just maintaining a family photo collection, backing up your files is a critical task. More

If you're considering purchasing a new Macbook that features SSD storage, you may be wondering if the standard 256GB space is going to cut it. It's an interesting question, and the answer, of course, depends on your personal use. I've crunched some numbers to help you determine if the 256GB drive is enough for you. More

Seagate Backup Plus Portable Drive
• $89.00 (500 GB) - $109.99 (1 TB)
• Seagate

I'm always shocked how many people I know still don't own and use an external drive for backup purposes. A common excuse is they're expensive (they're not) or they once had a drive that failed (all drives fail eventually). What's really expensive and stressful is when your primary drive fails and you don't have a backup plan. And any backup plan starts off with an external drive. The USB 3.0 Seagate Backup Plus Portable Drive is so petite, I keep mine hidden behind my monitor and is a personal pick for portability and connection options. Additional features includes Seagate's Dashboard application to push or save pictures/videos from social network sites like Facebook, alongside the thrilling option to connect via Thunderbolt (adaptor required) for even faster transfer speeds.

Today's One Minute Tip comes from Justin Klosky and the O.C.D. Experience. More